Name of Unit: What Does It Mean To Be a Buddhist? Faith: Key Stage in which this unit should be taught: KS1 / KS2 Recommended Year Group (if specified:) Previous Learning: What is? Children will have learnt about who Buddha was and how he reached enlightenment. They will have been told some stories that Buddha used to teach others. AT1 Learning About Religion Main Focus: Forms of Expression AT2 Learning From Religion Main Focus: Meaning, Purpose and Truth What this unit teaches: How Buddhists live their lives through their faith. How the teachings of are arranged through the eight-fold path, four noble truths, symbols and five precepts. Children will learn about the sangha (Buddhist community) and Dharma (ultimate truth). Key RE Vocabulary: Buddha Sangha Dharma Temple Siddhartha Nirvana Karma Samsara Anitya Enlightenment Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development: Reflecting on other world faiths; Discussing the meaning of life for Buddhists; Negotiating our path in the world; Similarities and differences with their own faith. Possible Further Thinking and Extension Activities: Exploring the three jewels Buddhist scriptures and sacred text Future Learning: Explore Buddhist festivals and how they are celebrated across the world. Cross - Curricular Links: Music: Composing. Literacy: Writing letters, poems, debating. Drama: Role play, hot seating. Art and Design & DT: Origami, painting, collage, drawing. Maths: Venn diagrams. PE: Dance. PSHE: Class discussions, coping with loss. Sensitivities: Discussions about suffering, death and bereavement and reincarnation. It is important to be aware of and sensitive towards the individual situations and experiences of pupils in the class.
Lesson 1 Pupils should: AT1 - KS1: Say what some Buddhist symbols stand for and say what they are about. Explain the significance of different forms of religious expression. AT2 - KS1: Talk about what is important to them and to other people with respect for their feelings. Link things that are important to them and other people with the way they and others think and behave. What are the Buddhist Symbols and What Do They Mean? Key Questions: (Opportunities for discussions / debates) What are symbols? What are symbols used for? What do they mean? Secular and religious symbols? What symbols are most important? Why? Show this image and ask - Which is the odd one out and why? What religion do you think these symbols are from and why? What do you already know about these symbols? Explain that today we are beginning another unit of work to learn deeper about. Go through each of the symbols: 1. Parasol - royalty and spiritual power; 2. Golden Fishes - good fortune, fertility and salvation; 3. Treasure Vase - spiritual and material abundance; 4. Lotus - mental and spiritual purity; 5. Conch Shell - the fame of Buddha's teachings; 6. Endless Knot - infinite wisdom of the Buddha; 7. Victory Banner - victory of the Buddha's teachings and wisdom over ignorance; 8. Wheel - the teachings of the Buddha. Why have Buddhists chosen these symbols? Which symbol means the most to you? Why? Use the images to do a diamond 9 which symbol do the pupils think is most / least important and why? Resources: Key Stage 2, Buddhist Education Foundation Sensitivities: Discussions around fertility
Are there any symbols that are the same in other religions e.g. the conch shell? Make a poster / non-fiction book about the symbols and their significance. Make Top Trumps of pairs game about the symbols. Make an origami lotus flower after writing a prayer / reflection in the paper before folding. These could be floated on a bowel of water / the water tray. Alternatively they could be put into the Class / School s Reflective Area. Reflections: Choose the symbol that means the most to you and write how it is reflected in your own life.
Lesson 2 Pupils should: AT1 - KS1: Say what some Buddhist symbols stand for and say what they are about. Use religious words to describe some of the different ways in which Buddhists live their lives. AT2 - KS1: Think about the way to live their life and compare their ideas with others. Link things that are important to them and other people with the way they and others think and behave. What is the Eight-Fold Path and How Do Buddhists Use This In Their Daily Life? Write a thought diary for 5 minutes what have you thought about during the 5 minutes? Share each step on the eight-fold path. Discuss the middle way what does it mean? Give examples of paths and ask children to role play what the middle way would look like. Presentation about the eight steps using stepping stones or the spokes of a wheel. Key Questions: (opportunities for discussions / debates) Has it been put into any order? What order would you put the steps in? Why? What steps should everyone follow? What steps are found in other religions? How is the eight-fold path similar / different to other religious values? Write out the path as a personalised training programme. Make your own eight-fold path. What eight things would you include if you were going to write eight things that are important to how you live your life? Order the eight steps as you think they should be to reach enlightenment justify reasons for this. Sensitivities: Discussions around occupations; Care needs to be taken when talking about religious values. Extension:
Find an occupation that a Buddhist would do and explain why. Reflections: Make your own wheel out of paper / salt dough. With Buddhist music playing / Singing Bowel singing, pupils share one step from their own eight-fold path. Home Learning: Choose one of the paths and follow it all day, reflect on what you found difficult!
Lesson 3 Pupils should: AT1 - KS1: Use the right names for things that are special to Buddhists and how they show their beliefs. KS2 : Use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to. AT2 - KS1: Think about Buddhist s purpose of achieving Nirvana and compare ideas with those of Buddhists. Consider the purpose of life for a Buddhist and think about how this relates to their own life. How and Where Do Buddhists Practice Their Faith? How Do Buddhist Believe That You Could Reach Nirvana? Look at Buddhist images of Nirvana. Do they remind pupils of anywhere else important in a faith? Where? In what faith(s?) Think about how it is similar / different to the Christian view of Heaven. Watch the video: What is Nirvana? Make notes about what Buddhists believe about Nirvana and how to achieve it. Key Questions: (opportunities for discussions /debates) What is Nirvana? How do Buddhists view Nirvana? What is included in a shrine? Why? What is the significance? Make a poster about what Buddhist believe about Nirvana. The home shrine what is needed for an altar and why. A visit to a Buddhist Temple could take place to see the shrine there. Collages / drawings of what happiness is for people of different ages and circumstances. Compose a piece of music / art / dance / poetry to represent what Nirvana is like and write an explanation for their choices. Reflections: Resources: Video: What is Nirvana? - https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=odwiphj-ivo Sensitivities: Using images of Buddha rather than statues as it is considered disrespectful to have these outside of the temple.
Reflect on what is important in your life what items would you have if you were going to create your own shrine?
Lesson 4 What Is It Like To Live In The Sangha? Pupils should: Class discussion What is happiness? AT1 - KS1: Talk about some of the things that are the same and different for religious people. Use the right religious vocabulary to describe and compare what the way of life would be for a Buddhist belonging to their community and compare this with another person belonging to a different religious community. Key Questions: (opportunities for discussions / debates) Who is part of your community? Are they important? Why are they there? What is happiness? What do you need to be happy? Make a poster about things that make you happy? Use this to reflect on how this is different to what makes Buddhists happy. Look at the life of Buddhists monks and nuns and the possessions that they own / need. How is this different to what you need to be happy? Introduce the idea of Sangha as the Buddhist community. Research the members of the Sangha and their role in the community. How are the precepts different / similar to rules for life in other religions? Resources: Key Stage 2, DVD Pack The Clearvision Trust AT2 - KS1: Compare some of the things that influence them with those that influence Buddhists. Compare the precepts to The 10 Commandments. The five precepts make a negative / positive precept mobile. Turn the class into a Buddhist community for the day. Reflections:
Think about what it may be like to be a member of the Buddhist community and what impresses them about this religion, identity and community. Hot air balloon of life what would you empty out of the balloon? What do you really need? What could you say Goodbye to?
Lesson 5 Pupils should: AT1 - KS1: Describe what a Buddhist might learn from a Buddhist story. Explain how religious sources are used to provide answers to important questions about life and mortality. AT2 - KS1: Link things that are important to me and other people with the way I think and behave. What Do Buddhists Believe The Meaning of Life Is? What Do Buddhists Believe Will Happen To A Person When They Die? Create a Big Question wall about issues that arise in the lesson. Share the story of The Buddha and the Mustard Seed. Key Questions: (opportunities for discussions / debates) What makes a good day, year and life? How does it feel to do something meaningful? Is there anything in the world that is not susceptible to change? Why can it not be changed? Write questions for a visitor who is an expert on? Invite a Buddhist visitor into the class. Raps about Karma what comes around goes around. Create a video montage with music of children talking about their beliefs relating to life after death. Resources: The story of The Buddha and the Mustard Seed : http://www.bbc.co.uk/educatio n/clips/z3b2hyc Sensitivities: Death and bereavement; Suffering; Karma; Reincarnation. It is important to be aware of and sensitive towards the individual backgrounds and situations of pupils in the class. Write some questions about life after death and suggest answers that refer to resurrection and reincarnation. As you sow, so shall you reap. Explain the meaning of this verse and give examples. Debate: - Do you always reap what you sow? Reflections: Listen to some of the big questions and reflect on your responses to them.
Lesson 6 Assessment Week: Pupils should: AT1 - KS1: Describe some of the things that are the same and different for Buddhists and people of another faith. Describe why people belong to religions and explain how similarities and differences can make a difference to individuals lives. How Are My Beliefs Similar and Different To A Person Who Practices? Look back and think about all that has been learnt throughout this unit to answer the question What Does It Mean To Be a Buddhist? Key Questions: (opportunities for discussions / debates) What have you learnt in this unit? What do Buddhists believe? What do you believe? How do your beliefs compare with Buddhist beliefs? What would you still like to find out? Comparing Buddhist way of life to pupils own using a sheet with Buddhist ideals and space for pupils to write their equivalent. Similarities and differences mind map / venn diagram between Buddhist beliefs and own beliefs. The learning journey of each class will be very different depending on activities chosen in previous lessons. AT2 - KS1: Think how Buddhist ideas answer questions about life. Ask questions about the meaning and purpose of life and suggest answers that I would give and answers that Buddhists might give. Create your own eight-fold path showing how you would live it through your life. Create a class book of the class eight-fold paths. Create your own symbols of belief based on what you have learnt about the Buddhist faith. Acrostic poetry to reflect on Buddhist belief, then child s name to reflect on their beliefs. Design a place of worship based on what you have learned about. Think about what to include that shows what it means to be a Buddhist. Reflections:
Reflection on the learning path through the Buddhist unit - What has been the most meaningful part to each pupil?